Grinding machine



Jan. 12, 1932. f F. D. GIDDINGS 1,840,893

GRINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, y1929 5 sheets-sheet l IN V EN TOR.

/ J/ll: l BY a A TTORNEYS Jan. 12, 1932.. F. D. GIDDINGS 1,840,893

VGRINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

1* ATTORNEYSA Jan. 12, 1932. F. D. GIDDINGS GRINDING MACHINE Filed Aug. 19, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 'and continuous feed Patentes Jaa. i2, i932 FRANK n. GIDDINGS, or Fonti,contrivs conortiino` feitrivniivsr MACHINE .Appiication inea August 19, "1929." serial No.- 386,895.

This invention relates to reducing mills for farm products such as corn fodder, hay,vgrain, beet tops, ensilage and foliage in general.

It is an objectiof the invention to provide a Y mill of simple construction vwhich in a single action cuts and grinds material of lthe alcovev stated nature uniformly to any de-sired ineness. i t

Another object is to provide a mill capable ofreducing farm products that are wet, as easily and as completely as thosethat are .in a dry condition. i

A further object is to 4provide ina mill of the abovedescribed character, a positive and grinding element.

Another object for theejection of obstructive yolojects inthe feed,'without injuryto the cuttingpand grind- -ing members, and still `further objects ireside in many novel .features of' construction and many novel arrangements and combinations of parts all of which contribute to provide a machine in which simplicity of construction is combined with durability and with practicability and eicienoyin use.

ln the accompanying drawings in the several views of-which like parts are 'similarly designated, y Y n Y Figure 1 represents a sideeleVati'on` of the mill,

Figure 2, a plan view of the mill, Vdrawn to a largerscale, the cover ofthe grinding and cutting element having beenshown in the open position andthe end part of the feed element having been omitted, Y

Figure V3, a longitudinal vertical section through the machine, taken onjthe line 3f-3,

Figure 2, and vdrawn to a somewhat'reduced;

scale,

Figure 4, anenlar'ged elevationof' one of grinding element ofthe mill,

Figure 5, a sectionson the l'ne mlfigi ure 1,

Figure 6, an enlarged Vfragmentary sectionV of a part ,of one of the heads of the` grinding and* cutting element, showing the method of ofmaterial to the cutting v resides in providing means of which thegsideplates A15 are parts.

mounting they cutting members and grinding members of thesame,

Figure 7, a sectional .planrview of the parts shown in Figure 6, l l f -ltiguref8, ya reduced side .elevation ofthe machine, and i -V y i Ei-gure 9, a section etalen on the line 'iQ-9, Fil-gurei. 'i

The drawings above brieflydes'cribed .illusl trate a constructionwhich has proven ad- I vantageous from allstandpoi'nts of manufac ture `and use and while thisconstruction will be herein specica'lly explained :it fis tovbe understood Lthat within the scope of 'the' invention claimed,numerous variations may be made. Y

The mill comprises a truck 5 supported yon Wheels 6 andv capable of-selfpropulsion or of beingxhauled to a place of operationby a trac# toror-loyxdraft animals.

The truck supports a grinding element,'a feed element includinga laterally-projecting endless belt 7 onto which the Ymaterial to be ground is fed, and a fan 8 which drawsthe product of thegrinding element through an 7 upright pipe 9vinto an elevated bin 10 from which it is delivered to wagons or-other4re` ceptaclesby means ofan inclined chute 12. Y

rl`he various elements aredri-ven from an engine 13, likewise mounted-onfthechassis of the truck. The xreducing element andthe feedelement and the shaft, pulleysandother gearing by which they are connected with the engine,arenssembled on a main frame `14: thats mounted at the end-of the truck/chassisand yprojects laterally therefrom.

The frame includes the-sideplatesl ofthe vconnected wingsl'between'which the rollers comprised in the feed element are supported, and the forward projecting arms "117 which provide a fulcrum y for the yielding frame lof the grinding members of the cutting and .'the *endless apron Tamcluded mi the, feet;

element. Y i

fT-he rotorV of 'the fan andthe rotorlof `the grinding and cutting element are mounted Vdirectly, on the engine shaft 18, i as clearly shown in Eignre 2. j i

The grindingelement comprises ahousing V,C grindin-g and cutting element, the therewith The housing provides a cylindrical chamber 19 for the rotor of the grinding and cutting element and the circumferential wall of this housing includes a stationary part 2U and a hinged cover part 2l which when opened aifords access to the interior of the housing.

The grinding and cutting chamber proper is defined by two arcuate screen plates 22 and 23 in circular alinement which are supported in slide-ways on the side plates of the housing.

When 'the cover is opened these two screen plates may be separately removed by merely sliding' them through the ends of their respective ways, it being understood that one of the plates is mounted on the sides of the cover and the other plate on the sides of the stationary partof the housing.

The ends of the screen plates are spaced apart at the side of the housing at which the material is fed into the grinding chamber to provide a feed opening 24. Part of this openinfy is normally closed by a sectional cover, the sections of whichl are hinged to move about a common axis.

The cover sections 25 are held in their closed position by shearing pins 26 made of frangible material and inserted in registering holes of flanges 27 of the cover sections and a cross bar 28 on the stationary housing of the grinding element.

Vhen in the operation of the mill a bolt or other hard object enters the grinding chamber, the pressure exerted thereby upon one or more of the cover sections during rotation of the rotor, breaks the respective shearing pin or pins with the result that the cover members are thrown outwardly and enlarge the feed opening suiiiciently for the discharge of the obstructive objects without damage to the cutting and grinding members of the mill.

At the lower ends of the cover sections, are knives or cutting blades 29 that cooperate with other blades on the rotor of the crushing and grinding element to reduce the material entering the grinding chamber through the feed opening.

rlhe rotor is composed of a number of heads 30 mounted adjoiningly on the shaft of the cutting and grinding element, which as stated before, is a continuation of the motor shaft 18. The heads provide a cylindrical circumferential surface broken by gaps 31 and the cutting edges of knives 32 mounted upon the circumference of the cylinder project over the edges of these gaps to cooperate with the relatively stationary cutting blades 29.

Referring particularly to Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings, the heads 30 are provided with recesses 33 which are spanned by the knives 32 that rest upon the outer edges 34 of the saine. Bolts 35 secure the knives to the heads and screws 36 passing through openings of the knives and bearing against the surface of the recesses, together with nuts 37 on the screws bearing on the outer surfaces of the knives serve to adjust the postion of the knives so as to regulate the distances of their cutting edge from the edges of the'stationary cutting blades 29.`

ln the construction shown in the drawings, each head carries two knives and the heads are relatively arranged to place the knives in advance of each other with relation to the direction of rotation of the rotor, as shown in Figure 2.

Arranged upon the peripheral surface of the heads between the recesses over which the knives project, are pluralities of cutting and grinding studs 38 which are placed in staggered relation to each other so as to cover the entire width of the head. rEhe studs thus arranged, distribute the material transversely of'tlie grinding chamber in the path of the cutting edges of the knives.

The studs are formed, as best shown in Figures el; and 5, with an angular shank 39 and a flaring or beveled head 40, the sides of which are serrated to form teeth il which cut the material to a finer size after it has been reduced by the knives. The main object of the studs, however, is to grind the material against the screens to a fineness that permits it to pass through the perforations of the same.

The material thus discharged from the grinding chamber falls in a sump 42 at the lower portion of the housing from where it is drawn by the action of the fan to be ultimately discharged through the spout 9 into the bin l0 and thence through the trough l2 into wagons or other receptacles.

rlhe studs are supported in Vshaped pockets 43 at the sides of the heads and they are held against displacement under centrifugal force by U-bolts /let extending through openings in the head and secured by nuts d5. rl'he U-bolts engage in grooves 44a in the shanks of the studs and thus lock the studs in place.

In the operation of the mill the cover 2l is in the closed position in which its screen section is continuous with that of the stationary portion of the housing and t-he cover is locked in place by latches @i6 on the stationary part of the housing, engaging with headed pins 47 on the cover, as shown in Figure l.

vllhe feed element by which the material is fed into the feed opening of the cutting and grinding element comprises the before mentioned endless carrier 7, a drum 48 equipped with mechanically projected impelling fingers 49, a peripherally ribbed roller 50 and a periplierally smooth roller 5l.

The druni and the two rollers are arranged at diiferentdistances from the feed opening, the smooth roller being' nearest to the saine and the drum and the rollers are also posi- 'stift escobas extending across an end of the drum and dur-V ing rotation of the drum these arms engage with a stationary cam 56, best shown in Figure 3, to cause rotation of the shafts for the purpose of projecting the fingers radially from the periphery of the drum.

The fingers at the ascending side of the i drum lie against the peripheral surface thereof in seats at opposite ends of the ribs, but at the descending side of thel drum they are projected outwardly from the drum.

The apron or carrier 7 mounted upon sprocket wheels 57 and 58 on shaftsV at opposite ends of a yielding frame 59 which' is fulcrumed at 60 on the ends of the arms 17 of the main frame of the machine, travels in the operation of the mill in the direction of the feed opening.

The fingers on the rotating drum 48 impel the material into the space between the apron and the peripherally ribbed roller 50, and the latter causes the material to advance through i terial into said space and this arrangement the narrower space between the peripherally smooth roll-er 51 vand the apron, toward and through the feed opening of the cutting and grinding chambers.

The frame 59 of the apron is at its end remote from the fulcrum, suspended from a stationary cross bar 61 of the main frame by coiled springs 62 and these springs permit of a yielding movement of the frame under pressure of the material passing between the apron and the rollers.

It will be readily seen that the feed element as described, insures a positive and substantially -constant and uniform movement of material fed onto the apron, into and through the feed opening of the grinding chamber; Y

A line shaft 63 mounted in bearings 64 on the arms 17, is driven from the engine shaft 18 by means of a belt 64, the pulley 65.0n the line shaft being largerithan the pulley 66 on the engine shaft and loosely mounted.

A clutch 67 on the line shaft, moved by a hand lever 68, establishes the rotative continuity of the pulley and the shaft 63. and Y the pulley acts as a iiy wheel to assist in the uniform motion of the different elements of the machine. Y

A stub shaft 69 is driven from the line shaft at a reduced speed by means of a sprocketchain 7 O and a gear wheel 71 on the stub shaft meshes with a smallergear wheel 72 on the shaft ofthe smooth roller 51 of the feed element.- Y

The peripherally ribbed roller 50 is driven from the smooth roller by means of a sprocket chain" and the fingercarryinggdrum 48 is drivenj-.from 4the ribbed roller 50 :through th'emediumcfa sprocket chain 7 The rearwardshaft :ofthe .apron :receives 4its motion fronirrthevzline V-sh'aftjfby means of :a sprocket chain'75. 'y fl. j

lit is \toobserved that the ,:roller "50g ro-V tates at slower .velocity than the smooth roller .'51, that the ingericarrying Vfeed drum 48-moves slower than-the ribbed roller .'50, 1

and that lthe drum and the rollerslmove faster than the endless apron. n Platesv 76 onithe underside ofthe hinged cover sections fpreven't roller. f

Flaring boards 77 at .opposite sides of theV apron frame provide together with the upper surface of the apron; a trough into which the material is fed and the apron may be composed ofllapping slatsmounted on parallel sprocket chains Von the sprocket wheels of the apron.V Y v The boards 77 at their ends adjacent the roller 48, flare inwardly as at 77 a and adjoin Y corresponding flaring parts of the wings 16 ofthe main frame thereby forming a con-v stricted throat'through which the material must pass into the space between the wings.

The ngers 49 on vthe roller draw the manot only prevents spilling, but also increases the capacity of the machine.

The construction of the rotor of a series of heads assembled on the'same shaft, per mits of varying the widthand capacity of scope of said invention as claimed, numerous Vvariations may be made. 1

What I claimy and desire ters Patent is: 1. In a mill reducing element comprising chamber having a feed opening, a cutting blade at an edge of the feed opening, a rotor to secure by Letof the character described, a

in the chamber having a peripheral recess,

a cutting member resting upon an edge of the recess and capable of movement about said edge to vary the distance of'its cutting edge-fromv the aXis of rotation 'of the rotor,

to adjust the cutting mem-V Y e ber by 'its said movement and to hold the same Y and screw means in an adjusted position; f v e 2Q, In a mill ofthe character described, a

from the foregoing that I a reduction the material :from movingupward with the rllO o the studs against lateral and longitudinalv displacement.

In testimony whereof I have affixed in v signature.

FRANK D. GIDDINGS.

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